Hard Stop Loss vs Manual Stop Loss? What to Do 🤔

You open a trade, confident you’ll manually close it at the next 4H candle close. You go to sleep. When you wake up, surprise! A massive liquidity grab has wicked through your trade, leaving you with a bigger loss than expected—or worse, no account to trade with.

Sound familiar? If not (yet), trust me, it will. That’s why I never leave a soft stop loss and always use a hard stop loss. Here are 10 reasons why:

1. Protects Against Volatility: Crypto moves fast, and a hard stop keeps you safe from sudden spikes or dips.

2. No Surprises While You Sleep: Your risk is controlled even when you’re away from the screen.

3. Avoids Emotional Mistakes: A hard stop takes emotions out of the equation.

4. Prevents Account-Wiping Losses: Keeps you from losing more than you can afford.

5. Handles Liquidity Grabs: Placing stops with a buffer avoids falling prey to fake-out wicks.

6. Simplifies Risk Management: Losses stay predictable and under control.

7. Saves Time: You don’t need to babysit your trades.

8. Eliminates Human Error: Hard stops don’t rely on you being available.

9. Reinforces Discipline: Keeps you committed to your strategy.

10. Future You Will Thank You: Protecting your capital is protecting your future.

My Advice for Placing Stops

Always set stop losses with a buffer. Avoid obvious levels like just below support or above resistance—these are magnets for liquidity grabs. Instead, look for less conventional placements to give your trade some breathing room while keeping your risk low.

The bottom line: Hard stop losses aren’t just about protecting your account—they protect your mindset, discipline, and long-term success.

#StopLoss #CryptoTrading #RiskManagement #TradingDiscipline #LiquidityGrab #TradeSmart #ProtectYourCapital